Voždovac

The ethnic composition of the municipality:[3]

The neighborhood of Voždovac is located 4 to 5 kilometres (2 to 3 miles) south of downtown Belgrade, on a hill in the northern part of the municipality. Three long, more or less parallel streets shape the neighborhood into an elongated form in the north-west to south-east direction: western border is marked by Bulevar Oslobođenja (Boulevard of Liberation), which also makes the border to the municipality of Savski Venac, eastern by Kumodraška Street, while Vojvode Stepe Street stretches in between. Due to its shape, Voždovac borders many other neighborhoods: Autokomanda to the north, Diplomatska Kolonija on the north-west, Banjica (and Banjica Forest) on the west, Trošarina and Banjica II on the south-west, Kumodraž (its sub-neighborhoods of Kumodraž II and Torlak) on the south, Braće Jerković II and Mitrovo Brdo on the south-east, Braće Jerković on the east and Dušanovac on the north-east.

Name Voždovac is derived from the word vožd meaning leader (literally, a "duke", "supreme vojvoda"), one of the titles used by the Karađorđe Petrović, the leader of the First Serbian Uprising. He also commanded the liberation of Belgrade from the Turks in 1806, and on the very spot from where he started that operation today stands a Church of the Saint Emperor Constantine and Helena, popularly called the Voždovac Church (Voždovačka crkva). The spot he has chosen was outside of the "Laudan's trench", too distant for the Turks inside the trench to notice the Serbian fighters gathering but close enough to take the chargeon the trench.[4] Unofficial name, Voždovo predgrađe, Vožd's Suburb, was recorded after 1903, after the Karađorđević dynasty was restored on Serbian throne.[5]

After the liberation in World War I in 1918, Voždovac was placed under the Belgrade's administrative rule.[6] A string of new neighborhoods encircled eastern outskirts of Belgrade, with names usually containing "suburb" and some member of the royal family. These original names either never became popular or were suppressed after World War II and replaced. The inspiration for the design of the neighborhoods came from the 1912 complex built along the Daviel Street in Paris. It consisted of 40 one-floor houses with gardens, indented from the main street.[7] Settlement that subsequently developed was known as Činovnička Kolonija (Clerk's colony). Still operational elementary school "Branislav Nušić" was built in 1935 and the neighborhood was officially named "Predgrađe Kraljice Marije" or Queen Maria's Suburb, after the dowager queen Maria of Yugoslavia. Later, inhabitants colloquially began to use name Voždovac which spread and was adopted as the official name.[4]

From June 1945 to December 1946, Voždovac was one of 5 administrative neighborhoods within Belgrade’s Raion VI.[8]

Originally a residential area, as the neighborhood was growing and stretching to the south, it developed different features. The south-western extension to Torlak, along the Vojvode Stepe street, developed almost rural look, while the southern extension into the Kumodraž II is turned into one of the most heavily industrialized areas in the "Old Belgrade". The western area, along the Boulevard of Liberation became somewhat of an elite neighborhood. Three faculties of the University of Belgrade are located in the neighborhood: Management (FON), Political sciences (FPN) and Transportation. Population of the neighborhood was 22,516 in 2002[9] and 23,153 in 2011.[10]

The Church of the Saint Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena, colloquially called the Voždovac Church, is one of the neighborhood's landmarks. It was damaged during World War I, but was reconstructed by 1926. Reconstruction design was drafted by architect Dragomir Tadić, who also designed a new, larger church, which replaced the old one. The new church was opened on 1 December 1970. Icons were painted by Milić od Mačve, in the atypical manner, ignoring any schematism or traditional style. Clergy house was consecrated in 2011. Interior painting was done by Vojislav Luković.[5]

Vojvode Stepe street is one of the main traffic routes in this part of Belgrade. What was announced as a massive reconstruction of the street began in July 2014 and lasted to July 2015. The original project, which envisioned the work in phases which would allow for the partial usage of the street, was soon abandoned as the company which done the reconstruction, "Ratko Mitrоvić", started getting late even during the preparation stage so they simply closed the entire street. Also, it turned out that it is not the full reconstruction, as the underground installations weren't replaced. Closing of the street caused massive disturbance of the traffic in this part of the city and economic damage to the stores and craftshops along the street. "Ratko Mitrović" asked for an extension of 72 days, but was granted 20 days by the city, to which they allegedly complied. However, after the street was officially open by the Mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali, the works continued for weeks. Also, the completed job was of a low quality: badly projected pathways for the visually impaired, parts of the sidewalks, drains, etc. Since the first rains, a pond would form at the bottom end of the street. Mali accused the previous city administration for the "bad contract", but he was already heading the city for 9 months when the works began. He also threatened the "Ratko Mitrović" that they will be fined for the delays, but instead granted them the extension of the deadline and the city hired the same company for further projects.[11][12]